A more or less accurate measure of class in America is TV size: the bigger your TV, the lower your class.

Travel at its truest is thus an ironic experience.

Every war is ironic because every war is worse than expected. Every war constitutes an irony of situation because its means are so melodramatically disproportionate to its presumed ends.

Americans are the only people in the world known to me whose status anxiety prompts them to advertise their college and university affiliations in the rear window of their automobiles.

Travel sharpens the senses. Abroad one feels, sees and hears things in an abnormal way.

Wars damage the civilian society as much as they damage the enemy. Soldiers never get over it.

The wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.